Robotics is an active area of research, and many different types of robotic vehicles have been developed for various tasks. For example, unmanned aerial vehicles have been quite successful in military aerial reconnaissance. Less success has been achieved with unmanned ground vehicles, however, in part because the ground environment is significantly more difficult to traverse than the airborne environment.
Unmanned ground vehicles face many challenges when attempting mobility. Terrain can vary widely, including for example, loose and shifting materials, obstacles, vegetation, limited width or height openings, steps, and the like. A vehicle optimized for operation in one environment may perform poorly in other environments.
There are also tradeoffs associated with the size of vehicle. Large vehicles can handle some obstacles better, including for example steps, drops, gaps, and the like. On the other hand, large vehicles cannot easily negotiate narrow passages or crawl inside pipes, and are more easily deterred by vegetation. Large vehicles also tend to be more readily spotted, and thus can be less desirable, such as for discrete surveillance applications. In contrast, while small vehicles are more discrete, surmounting obstacles becomes a greater navigational challenge.
A variety of mobility configurations have been adapted to traverse difficult terrain. These options include legs, wheels, and tracks. Legged robots can be agile, but use complex control mechanisms to move and achieve stability. Wheeled vehicles can provide high mobility, but provide limited traction and require width in order to achieve stability.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.